Before & after: Courtyard garden renovation

Before and after projects don't necessarily always take place inside the house; even our outdoor spaces can be in dire need of renovation and care, too. For some, the pocket of land attached to their homes, no matter how small, is a vital element to remain sane when living amongst other buildings and within urban sprawl. Today, we are going to look at a project by Amy Perkins garden design, and learn how to turn the space we do have into our own personal oasis of calm and relaxation. Take a look…

Before: An uninspiring outdoor space

Garden before works took place

In the before image, we see a sad outdoor area with very little appeal. The size and shape leaves plenty of room for creativity, however, the potential just hadn't been harnessed as of yet. Sometimes when we buy a home, we think of what we are going to do with the outdoor area last, and put in place patch-up solutions like roll-out lawn in the interim. A quick fix for sure, but it doesn't leave us wanting to spend time in our gardens…

After: A stylish courtyard

Courtyard Garden

Here, we see the same view of the courtyard garden, with a totally new lease on life! The brief provided by the clients was to encompass a Mediterranean and Moorish vibe, giving the occupants the opportunity to feel as though they are on vacation even within the confines of their own property. As you can see, the floor has been totally changed with a wonderful series of large tiles added for maximum impact. A general rule of thumb in design, especially when tackling small spaces, is to use large tiles—they instantly makes a space look larger.

After: Outdoor life

Courtyard

The existing raised planter boxes were capitalised upon, and have been landscaped to perfection. The Mediterranean feel here is met with a spot of British charm through the carefully pruned hedges and plants. The dark coloured ledge of the planter boxes complements the dark edging of the tiles, creating a dramatic and uniform look.

After: Attention to detail

Paving details

Of course, attention to detail is of utmost importance, and so as not to detract or draw away from the calm and openness of the space, the detail of the new courtyard is clever and subtle. Inside selected spaces, we find a more decorative patch, where stones have been added in a herringbone pattern and finished off with an ornate and decorative tile piece. As we know, it's the smaller details that make up the bigger picture, with little splashes of interest such as this, adding variance and a point of difference.

After: An oasis of calm

Paving detail & sofa

Lastly, the raised section we saw in the background of a previous image is on show here. Again, we see another intricate tile detail, this time made up from smaller stones and tiles merged together to create a crest-like pattern. No garden or outdoor area would be complete without a place to relax, so a brown wicker lounge with white cushions was added as the cherry on top. What a wonderful place to read a book, enjoy a glass of wine or even bask in the the morning sun.

To see more wonderful gardening ideas, check out the following ideabooks: